Book Reviews

“Fall In Love For Life: Inspiration from a 73-Year Marriage”

Shel Harrington: Great tips on marriage and relationships from the divorce lawyer who doesn’t like divorce (Blog):

“What a fun story it is! Full of humor, wisdom, tips for practical living and (what was at one time) common Marriage – 73 Years of Wisdomsense, this book makes a great gift for weddings, anniversaries, and sweetheart holidays. Each chapter ends with a section called “Cutie’s Counsel” – succinct, and surprisingly timeless advice, that can be appreciated by everyone from somebody just starting to date to long-time married couples. If you like hanging out with someone who ‘calls it like they see it,’ grab a cup of coffee and spend an afternoon with Cutie Cooper.”

“I’m ready to spill my guts about married life. I think marriage should be celebrated because it’s fun, messy, hard and the best thing when you find the right one… I have to give credit to the book that inspired me to tell my story. It’s called “Fall in Love for Life” and it’s written by an awesome woman who was married for 73 years. I saw the book at Book People as part of their Valentine’s book display. I picked it up and read several chapters in. This book made me want to begin writing down my love story. Why wait, right?”

“It is a heartwarming book, filled with no nonsense advice from Barbara ‘Cutie’ Cooper…. I’m so glad I picked up this book. While I’m knee deep in wedding planning, it is a nice reminder of what this is all about. Spending the rest of my life with the person I hold dear in my heart.”

“The book is meant to inspire. And inspire it does. I felt honored to be able to read about one person’s journey through their marriage from its beginnings to the end… I cannot recommend this book enough. Its uplifting and knowledgeable and filled with helpful insight.”

“Right before getting married, a book on Amazon.com caught my attention. [It] was a little present to myself and my husband as I firmly believe in happily ever after. The book is filled with lovely little stories and lessons from Barbara’s marriage to Harry. One chapter in particular was so cute I just had to share it…”

“…the sweetest, cutest love book I’ve ever read!… The story is not only sweet, but also very… rational, if it makes sense. Love the way she describes it is rather a rational process that doesn’t just come – the two people have to consciously make effort to work their relationship out which I find to be a really ‘feet on the ground’ approach and definitely agree with it!… I have to say that it’s such a lovely read – all I can add is that reading it makes me happy!”

Army Wife & Company (Blog):
“This is one of the best books I’ve ever read (and I’m only on chapter 2)!… I seriously feel like this woman is my soulmate! Up until this book, I had never highlighted anything or written anything in the margins of a book just for fun. She not only tells you her love story, but gives you advice for literally every stage of marriage. And if you think it’s going to be a boring old lady-type story, you couldn’t be more wrong. She had me literally laughing out loud.”

Andrea (Mrs. Loves Life Blog):
“I just finished this book, and it’s great. It’s simple yet so perfect. I learned a lot of sound advice, and I really got to know this sweet couple – I had tears at the end. I found myself dog-earing pages so I could remember to go back to them later for inspiration or a simple reminder. I highly recommend this book, and what a fantastic gift this would make too.”

Elle (Nutrionella Blog):
“I picked up this book in Anthro the other day and had a very hard time putting it down. While a friend shopped the entirety of the store I was parked at the large wooden table piled high with books, completely oblivious to what was going on around me. My fingers leafed through the pages from front to back while my eyes furiously scanned paragraphs for a peek into this couple’s amazing story. It’s littered with romance, honesty, and relationship advice from true veterans and reads just as if a grandparent were sharing their best words of wisdom with you. With our wedding just around the corner, I thought this book would make a cute Valentine’s Day gift for the hubs-to-be, complete with dog-eared pages, favorite sentences underlined and a handwritten Valentine for a bookmark. My plan is to read a few pages aloud to him before bed each night – I’m pretty sure he’ll be sucked in as quickly as I was. This is also great wedding or engagement gift material for your sweetie or friends with a wedding on the horizon.”

Kelley Baker (Chronicle Books Blog):
“Cutie may be a self-professing square with a preciously old school set of rules for courtship, but Fall in Love for Life translates very directly to today’s reader. Cutie’s counsel stands the test of time and will resonate with anyone who is seeking to fall in love for life…. Barbara’s story is the kind most women would like to be able to write about their marriage, and Fall in Love for Life gives the reader so many helpful tools to get there. She speaks to her principles with a simplicity and ease that I can’t help but envy.”

5.0 out of 5 stars – Should have been the 5th Golden Girl (J. McDonald “Jackstarr”, Amazon UK link):
“A genuinely lovely book, which can be very poignant in parts. I tend to find books on this topic too saccharine for my taste, but this book is written by someone with a lifetime of experience, compassion, a wicked sense of humour and full of common sense. It is reflective as Barbara “Cutie” is looking back on her life and 73 years of marriage with her late husband Harry, but feels very relevant to me as someone several decades younger. I only wish I had a 90 plus, witty friend to talk or in my case listen to.”“Fall In Love For Life: Inspiration from a 73-Year Marriage”

Shel Harrington: Great tips on marriage and relationships from the divorce lawyer who doesn’t like divorce (Blog):

“What a fun story it is! Full of humor, wisdom, tips for practical living and (what was at one time) common Marriage – 73 Years of Wisdomsense, this book makes a great gift for weddings, anniversaries, and sweetheart holidays. Each chapter ends with a section called “Cutie’s Counsel” – succinct, and surprisingly timeless advice, that can be appreciated by everyone from somebody just starting to date to long-time married couples. If you like hanging out with someone who ‘calls it like they see it,’ grab a cup of coffee and spend an afternoon with Cutie Cooper.”

“I’m ready to spill my guts about married life. I think marriage should be celebrated because it’s fun, messy, hard and the best thing when you find the right one… I have to give credit to the book that inspired me to tell my story. It’s called “Fall in Love for Life” and it’s written by an awesome woman who was married for 73 years. I saw the book at Book People as part of their Valentine’s book display. I picked it up and read several chapters in. This book made me want to begin writing down my love story. Why wait, right?”

“It is a heartwarming book, filled with no nonsense advice from Barbara ‘Cutie’ Cooper…. I’m so glad I picked up this book. While I’m knee deep in wedding planning, it is a nice reminder of what this is all about. Spending the rest of my life with the person I hold dear in my heart.”

“The book is meant to inspire. And inspire it does. I felt honored to be able to read about one person’s journey through their marriage from its beginnings to the end… I cannot recommend this book enough. Its uplifting and knowledgeable and filled with helpful insight.”

“Right before getting married, a book on Amazon.com caught my attention. [It] was a little present to myself and my husband as I firmly believe in happily ever after. The book is filled with lovely little stories and lessons from Barbara’s marriage to Harry. One chapter in particular was so cute I just had to share it…”

“…the sweetest, cutest love book I’ve ever read!… The story is not only sweet, but also very… rational, if it makes sense. Love the way she describes it is rather a rational process that doesn’t just come – the two people have to consciously make effort to work their relationship out which I find to be a really ‘feet on the ground’ approach and definitely agree with it!… I have to say that it’s such a lovely read – all I can add is that reading it makes me happy!”

Army Wife & Company (Blog):
“This is one of the best books I’ve ever read (and I’m only on chapter 2)!… I seriously feel like this woman is my soulmate! Up until this book, I had never highlighted anything or written anything in the margins of a book just for fun. She not only tells you her love story, but gives you advice for literally every stage of marriage. And if you think it’s going to be a boring old lady-type story, you couldn’t be more wrong. She had me literally laughing out loud.”

Andrea (Mrs. Loves Life Blog):
“I just finished this book, and it’s great. It’s simple yet so perfect. I learned a lot of sound advice, and I really got to know this sweet couple – I had tears at the end. I found myself dog-earing pages so I could remember to go back to them later for inspiration or a simple reminder. I highly recommend this book, and what a fantastic gift this would make too.”

Elle (Nutrionella Blog):
“I picked up this book in Anthro the other day and had a very hard time putting it down. While a friend shopped the entirety of the store I was parked at the large wooden table piled high with books, completely oblivious to what was going on around me. My fingers leafed through the pages from front to back while my eyes furiously scanned paragraphs for a peek into this couple’s amazing story. It’s littered with romance, honesty, and relationship advice from true veterans and reads just as if a grandparent were sharing their best words of wisdom with you. With our wedding just around the corner, I thought this book would make a cute Valentine’s Day gift for the hubs-to-be, complete with dog-eared pages, favorite sentences underlined and a handwritten Valentine for a bookmark. My plan is to read a few pages aloud to him before bed each night – I’m pretty sure he’ll be sucked in as quickly as I was. This is also great wedding or engagement gift material for your sweetie or friends with a wedding on the horizon.”

Kelley Baker (Chronicle Books Blog):
“Cutie may be a self-professing square with a preciously old school set of rules for courtship, but Fall in Love for Life translates very directly to today’s reader. Cutie’s counsel stands the test of time and will resonate with anyone who is seeking to fall in love for life…. Barbara’s story is the kind most women would like to be able to write about their marriage, and Fall in Love for Life gives the reader so many helpful tools to get there. She speaks to her principles with a simplicity and ease that I can’t help but envy.”

5.0 out of 5 stars – Should have been the 5th Golden Girl (J. McDonald “Jackstarr”, Amazon UK link):
“A genuinely lovely book, which can be very poignant in parts. I tend to find books on this topic too saccharine for my taste, but this book is written by someone with a lifetime of experience, compassion, a wicked sense of humour and full of common sense. It is reflective as Barbara “Cutie” is looking back on her life and 73 years of marriage with her late husband Harry, but feels very relevant to me as someone several decades younger. I only wish I had a 90 plus, witty friend to talk or in my case listen to.”